Raquel Drosos started writing when she was five, and has rarely stopped. As a teenager, she wrote and published three young adult novels under her maiden name, Raquel George. Games of Chance is her first book for adults. She also blogs about parenting and the creative process. Raquel talks with me about the intersection between acting and writing, plotting vs. writing by the seat of your pants, the moment when your characters come to life in your head (which is not a sign of madness!), her next novel, and more. She also shares some excellent advice she got from her dad.
Episode breakdown:
0:00 Intro
01:09 Parents not artists, but innately creative and supportive.
06:02 Writer surprised by interpretation of their play.
09:55 Supportive parents, writing struggles, novel characters reused.
15:38 Mix of planning and spontaneity in writing.
17:20 Two types of writers: plotters and pantsers.
23:09 Feeding creativity through exposure to art and music.
25:14 Observing people, sparking curiosity, fostering creativity.
27:14 3-year-old nephew's wild story about alligators.
33:00 Characters connect through accents, interviews essential for authenticity.
34:10 The sound of words matters to writing.
40:08 Intense family saga vs. immediate relationship novel.
42:54 Encouraged writer spans genres and age groups.
45:13 Describing book as mix of others important.
48:18 Novel: Parenthood, love, creativity, friendship, humor, advice.
51:51 Jotting down scenes and dialogue, then dedicated.
54:56 Character decides to go left, not right.
58:10 Trust your gut and follow your instincts.
Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.
Please leave a review for this episode and in it, tell us about a moment when your creative work came to life for you.
If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.
Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in writing.
Wisdom: What is Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching?
This Plus That with Brandi Stanley
Wisdom: Listening to Your Body AND Your Mind
Finding YOUR Way with Isabelle Hardesty
Creative Pep Talk #15: Rule Number Six
Age-Decoded with Mark Ryall
Creative Pep Talk #14: Comparison and Self-Rejection
It‘s Gonna Be Great with Paul ”PB” Bessenbacher
Creative Pep Talk #13: A Story about Comparison
Anger and Curiosity with Dr. Ryan Martin
Creative Pep Talk #12: How Hard Is It?
Psychology and Writing with Sarah Fine
Creative Pep Talk #11: Failure
Coming Out of the Cave with Eddie Louise
Creative Pep Talk #10: Tiny Steps
The Empathy of Art with Kathryn Malek
Creative Pep Talk #9: A Change of Scene
Ask a Sex Abuse Survivor with Michael Broussard
Creative Pep Talk #8: How to Give Feedback
Balancing Writing and Medicine with Lydia Kang
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Navigating Life After 40
Teaching Learning Leading K-12
Regenerative Skills
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast